U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,373, which is assigned to the same assignee as the present application, teaches an improvement in the type of transport refrigeration systems having separate condenser and evaporator sections. The condenser section has a support frame which includes a refrigerant compressor, a condenser coil, and a refrigerant receiver, with these components being constructed such that the condenser section may be mounted with the support frame oriented in either a vertical position, such as for mounting the condenser section on a front wall of a truck, or with the support frame oriented in a horizontal position, such as for mounting the condenser section on the roof of a vehicle.
It would be desirable, and it is an object of the invention, to provide a new and improved receiver tank assembly suitable for use in a transport refrigeration system. The new receiver tank assembly should be suitable for use in a transport refrigeration system having separate condenser and evaporator sections, such as the condenser section disclosed in the hereinbefore mentioned U.S. Patent, as well as in a transport refrigeration system having integrated condenser and evaporator sections. It would be desirable, and it is an object of the invention, to substantially reduce the number of components required in such a transport refrigeration system, including reducing the number of component mounting brackets and refrigerant flow tubes or conduits, and reducing the number of tubing accessories such as tees, elbows and reducing bushings, thus reducing the number of solder joints, to reduce manufacturing time and cost of the associated transport refrigeration system, as well as the time to service and trouble shoot the transport refrigeration system.
It would also be desirable, and it is another object of the invention, to provide a new and improved refrigerant receiver tank assembly which maintains the ability of an associated condenser section to be mounted vertically on a wall of a vehicle, or horizontally on the roof of a vehicle, even when vertical mounting places an input header or manifold of the refrigerant receiver assembly below a receiver tank portion of the refrigerant receiver tank assembly.